Hey y’all! (I’ve been in Charlotte almost two years now, so y’all is acceptable). I’m Chrissie, and I blog about Charlotte food, restaurants, and events over at my blog, Off the Eaten Path (http://offtheeatenpathblog.com).
I try to go everywhere, from new restaurants to Charlotte institutions; dive bars, to coffee shops, to upscale restaurants, even local events. Which brings us to today’s post. While I love everything that a summer in Charlotte has to offer—days by the pool, temperatures in the 90s (or 100s), baseball, no school, cookouts, patio sitting and much more, Charlotte brings a lot to the table in fall too. Looking for a way to ring in September?
Grab the family and head to Charlotte’s annual Yiasou Greek Festival (which according to my friends who are locals, is a must do to kick off fall!).
The Yiasou Greek Festival has been a must do in Charlotte since 1978. Held annually at the Holy Trinity Greek Orthodox Cathedral (600 East Boulevard in Dilworth), the festival features entertainment, art, cultural exhibits, cathedral tours, shopping, and most importantly, food! It’s a great chance to indulge in all things Greek.
My first experience at the Yiasou Greek Festival was last September, and you bet it’s already on the calendar for this year. This family friendly event is a perfect way to spend an afternoon snacking on some great Greek food, with a side of Greek music and dancing, men dressed straight out of the movie Gladiator, and an enjoyable evening in the shadows of the beautiful Greek Orthodox Church.
There is a $3 festival entrance fee, which is affordable and goes directly to the Greek community and the church (I think the $3 entrance fee is worth it, but last year we were some lucky ducks, and got some complimentary admission tickets through work).
The Yiasou Festival offers all kinds of authentic Greek food–roasted lamb, baked chicken, gyros, chicken pitas, Greek salad, Grecian pizza, dolmades (grape leaves wrapped around ground beef and rice), moussaka (eggplant layered with ground beef and topped with a cream sauce, spanakopita (spinach and feta cheese pie), tiropita (feta cheese pie), baklava, and other delicious desserts.
For $6, I got a pita, stuffed to the brim and overflowing with hot, spiced lamb and beef gyro meat, smothered in tzatziki and topped with bright, red tomatoes, and cool, crisp onions. I also snagged a spanakopita and tiropita for $2 each, as well as some thick cut french fries with a vivacious green herb seasoning. I still have dreams about this gyro–each mouthful I inhaled was full of savory, well spiced gyro meat; soft, pillowy pita; creamy, tangy tzatziki; crunchy onions; and juicy tomatoes.
You can’t leave the festival without ordering a famous baklava sundae. The baklava sundae’s reputation precedes itself; it was really all anyone could talk about for weeks leading up to the festival whenever the words “Greek Festival” were uttered. Five dollars gets you an overwhelming amount of baklava and ice cream, which is more than enough for two (or more if you’re sharing with kids). The baklava was amazing; it was sticky, and sweet with a loving amount of nuts and honey. And there is no cutting corners at the Greek festival–the ice cream was high quality, and was the perfect, cold, creamy vehicle for our baklava.
Lucky for you (and me!) the 36th annual Greek Festival returns September 4-7, 2014 and promises tons of homemade food, live music and dance, cathedral tours and fun! You’ll definitely see me there, I’ll be the one eating the baklava sundae.
Want to see where else I’ve eaten? Off the Eaten Path started as a project to chronicle my adventures exploring Charlotte, learning about Charlotte and eating my way through Charlotte. I’ve always loved to write, and eat, so that’s what my blog is–eating and writing. And more eating. If you can’t find me eating, you can find me on Facebook (Off the Eaten Path CLT) or Twitter (@chrissie_beth). I look forward to sharing my eating adventures with you!
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